Improved grain-weighing and tallying machines



F. S. MCWHORTER.

Sack Scaies.

Patented Oct. 20, 1868.

Nv PETERS. PnoXo-Lihognpber. Wu'nlngton. D. C.

eluded fitatw great time.

F. S. MCWHORTER, OF ST. GEORGES, DELAWARE.

was Patent Nasacos, dated October 20, 1868 IMPROVED GRAIN-WEIG-HING- AND IALLYING MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. S. MCWHORTER, of St. Georges, in the county of New Castle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and improved Machine for Weighing and Tallying Grain, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same, with the side of the spout removed to exhibit the bucket, belt, and puleys.

fi Figure 3 is a detail section, through the line at x,

Figure 4 is a detail view of the registering-inecl1an- 15111.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the spur-wheel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention relates to the weighing and tallying of grain by machinery, and consists of the devices hereinafter set forth, by reference .to the accompanying drawings, in which the main body of the machine is shown to consist of the two spouts'A and B, j0l111l8 d'g0 and communicating with each other, as shown at 'g. .1.

The grain is lifted by the buckets E, on the belt D,

which latter passes over the pulleys O 0, within the,

spout A, and are driven by a belt on the pulley U, exterior to the spout.

This invention is designed, more particularly, to be attached to threshing-machines, but is equally applicable for tallying grain-into or from canal-boats, barges, box-cars, and the like, for the hopper-mouth F, at the lower end of the spout B, may be plunged into the grain as it lies in bulk on the floor, deck, or bottom of a grainloft, canal-boat, or box-car, respectively.

Its use, however, when attached to a threshing-machine, is to catch the grain as it issues from the threshiug-machine, at some suitable point of egress in the case or body of the latter.

The pulley U is driven by a belt from some pulley forming part of the driving-mechanism of the threshlug-machine.

The grain is taken up by the buckets E, and falls into the short spout A, and hence into the cloth sleeve V,-the mouth of which latter is aflixed by tacks, or other suitable means, around the inside of the spout, so that the grain must fall into the sleeve.

The bottom of the said sleeve is open, but the grain is restricted from passing through it by means of a choking-plate, W, which latter is an extension from.

the plates 1, at p, to the spout.

The steelyard-ai'mJ is an extension from the plate M, which-is affixed rigidly to the plates I, and is bent around and pivoted to the upright plates L, which lat ter, together with bottom rest T, form the sack-holder for the sack S, as shown.

A weight, K, slides on the steelyard-arm J, and serves to adjust the quantity of grain to be weighed and tallied, for when the bag S has received suflicient weight of grain to raise the weight K, the chokingplate W is thrust into the spout, (through a slot in the same for its admission,) and chokes the sleeve V, as shown at fig. 3, thus. stopping the discharge of grain until the filled sack is removed from the sack-holder.

The accinnulation of the snperincumbcnt grain in the sleeve, above the choking-plate, will not thrust out the latter, as, from the nature of the flexible sleeve, the grain will bear upon the top of the choking-plate, and therefore tend to hold it more firmly in its position.

\Vhen the filled sack is removed, the weight K will again withdraw the clioking- 'ilate, and permit the grain to flow.

While the sack is being, removed, and another is afiixed in its place, the weight K must be removed from the steelyard, or moved up close to the plate M, or in practice it will be foimd convenient for the attendant to place his foot upon the bottom, T.

The tallying-mechanism is contained within'the case- G, and its action depends on the pivoted catch-lever l), which strikes against a spur-wheel, (Z, on the main shaft -i of the said mechanism, and exterior to the case G of the same.

Then the filled sack pulls the plate I toward the spout, the catch-lever b, which is pivoted to an extension, 11, of the same, strikes against one of the points of the spur-wheel (I, which latter communicates the motion it receives from such contact to the tallyingmechanism within.

\Vhen the plate I falls outward from the spout, the catch-lever passes the next point-of the spur-wheel by turning on its pivot, the front of the upper end of the said catch-lever being bevelled to conduce to the said passage.

The lower part of the lever serves as a weight to keep it vertical, and a lug, q, on the extension n, prevents the lever from yielding when the plate I is pulled toward the spout.

The tallying-mechanism within the case G is'shown at fig. 4, and consists of the shafts k and 1', the endless screw-gears l and g, and 7b and j, by which the hands a a of the dials H H are moved.

These dials are graduated, in practice, to indicate hundreds and units, in any of the known ways.

The bottom, T, is adjustable for different lengths of sacks, by the slotted end P of the plate L and the screwbolts and burrs, as shown at O.

The device for holding the mouth of the sack open consists of the rectangular band Q, aflixed between the plates L by projections R from the said plates, together with the pivoted clips f f, which jam the edge of the sack against the band Q when any downward strain comes upon the sack, as shown.

When the filled sack is to be removed, these clips are Thus, by my invention, the weighing and tallying of grain is accomplished automatically, whereby no.

mistakes can occur, and the machine can be attended by a boy or other person.not reliable for accuracy in weighing or counting. I

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The sleeve V and choking-plate W, or the equivalent thereof, in combination with the steelyard J, weight K, sack-holder L L T, and spout A, all substantiallyas shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The steelyard-arm J, having a rigid connection with the choking-plate NV, and loose connection with the sack-holder L L T, or its equivalent, all substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The sack-holder L L T, or its equivalent, in combination with the steelyard-arm J, weight K, and spout A, for the purpose of thrusting in a plate, \V, to shut off the flow of grain, substantially as shown and described, and for the general purpose set forth.

4. The band Q, and clips f f, substantially as shown and described,- in combination with the plates L, all as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The catch-lever b and spur-wheel d, constructed and operating as shown and described, in combination with the choking-plate W and any tallying-mechanism, all as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The arrangement of the tallying-mechanism, consisting of the shaft k, bearing the worm 1, gear h, and pointern, the shaft 1', provided with the worm j and spur-wheel d, the pinion g and pointer a, on shaft m, all combined to operate as set forth, in connection with the weighing-mechanism.

F. S. MCWHORTER.

Witnesses:

G. F. BOWMAN, S. B. SUTTON. 

